One Way Trip
by Tamashi.no.Koe
Summary: It was love at first sight. She met him as a Second Year. They crossed paths on the third floor, four times in one night. In the end, it came down to those five seconds... FujiOC
1. Love At First Sight

**ONE WAY TRIP**

**Chapter One - Love At First Sight**

It was love at first sight.

I met him at the holiday resort in Furano, during the summer holidays, when my parents had taken me there. To have a nice change from urban Tokyo, they'd said.

He was there when he arrived, walking alone along the third floor corridor.

"It's Room 304, right, kaa-san?" I had just asked, when a door to our right opened, and out he came.

The boy with longish, light brown hair that fell stylishly over his cheerfully closed eyes, framing a pointed face with a comfortable tanned complexion. A small, gentle yet assured smile graced his lips.

I remember keeping half an eye on him as I'd walked in the opposite direction, towards the room kaa-san, tou-san and I were to share, soaking up his mellow features.

We passed each other at one point. He tilted his head, nodded slightly and smiled a little wider, just for me. I was too off balance to smile back.

I honestly kicked myself for that, afterwards, and resolved to do better next time.

There _would_ be a next time, I decided.

Even if getting interested in a guy after just seeing him once was a one way trip to heartbreak, I still wanted to meet him again.

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Author's Note: Look, sorry about the short chapters. I intended for this to be a one shot in the first place, but it was way too long for that, so I'm splitting up the chapters according to the times they meet and that sort of thing.


	2. A Flash of Roses

**Chapter Two - A Flash of Roses**

"Don't go too far," kaa-san reminded me as I made to go out the door. "We should have dinner soon."

Nodding, I left. Since it was too late in the day for me to start anything before eating, I wandered around the building, and glancing into all the public rooms I came across.

Finding nothing interesting that would help me while away half an hour, I let myself out into the garden. Furano was famous for its wild flowers, after all.

There were no other people around. Probably, I scoffed, they were all indoors, sipping coffee in the lounge like I knew kaa-san and tou-san were doing, or else holed up in the computer room.

I wondered if the boy had gone there too, and had half a mind to go back and check.

I stopped myself before I could turn, though.

_Can't have him dictate my time, can I?_

There were rosebushes ahead. Tall ones. Kaa-san had been right to suggest this trip; to think that in all my thirteen years, I hadn't seen something as ordinary as a rosebush in person. Wanting to walk amongst them, I leisurely strode over.

They were taller than I was, and much thicker. Careful not to prick myself or tear my clothes on the thorns, I slipped by one after another...

There was a sudden, blinding flash of light.

Whipping around, startled, I heard a slight click and a faint whirl of fine machinery.

"I'm sorry, did I frighten you?" A soft, concerned voice rang out.

Well, if the flash hadn't scared me, _he_ certainly had, jumping out from behind the bushes like that.

"No, it's all right," I replied, forcing my voice lower, calmer. "I'm sorry for bothering you."

"Saa..." The brunette stepped forwards. The smile on his face hadn't faltered once.

We both looked at the camera as a square piece of hard paper churned out sleekly from a slit. Curious to see the photo--I had a pretty good idea of what was in it--I waited with him for it to develop.  
"Ne," he said at last, holding it out for me to see. "It turned out well, didn't it?"

As I had suspected, it was I in the picture. Me, with my eyes wide and off guard, my lips parted slightly and my hair frozen in a permanent swishing wave as I had turned to face the camera. Behind me was a bed of blood red roses and green leaves.

I smiled wryly. _I never look as good as that._

"It's a beautiful photo," the boy commented admiringly. "You caught the light in just the right way. Ne," he looked up at me again. "Do you want it? If you don't, I'd be happy to--"

"Keep it," I told him, much too loudly and quickly for my comfort.  
He didn't seem to notice, though, and only smiled radiantly in thanks.

The smile kept me silent even as I was called away by my tou-san to dinner. I wanted more than ever to meet this boy again.

Even if getting interested in someone after he'd only taken a picture of you was still a one way trip to hell.


	3. Third Time Lucky

**Chapter Three - Third Time Lucky**

The third time I met him was that very night. I hovered, unable to decide, in my room, and couldn't help wonder where he might be. Grabbing my swimsuit, then dropping it and thinking of bowling, I picked up the swimsuit again...

_Well, I definitely won't see him if I stay stuck in this room._ Finally, I donned a T-shirt and shorts, thinking to go down to the pool beside which my parents were relaxing.

I opened my door to hear another clicking shut.

"Saa, we bump into each other quite often, don't we?" The boy stood outside Room 301, clutching a large bag in one hand.

"Yeah...yeah." At least I wasn't stuttering, or something equally embarrassing.

"What are you planning to do now?" he asked politely.

My breath constricted; why did he want to know? "I'm not very sure. I was thinking maybe the pool..." I said evasively. "Where are you going?"

He laughed. "Maa, if I told you, we wouldn't run into each other accidentally again, would we? I wouldn't be able to catch you off guard and take another wonderful picture."

I smirked. Good thing I hadn't planned to really _swim_. You know, in a_ skin-tight_ swimsuit? "Here's to coincidences, then. Ja." I raised a hand lazily in parting and walked away, feeling very self-conscious and at the same time pleased that his gaze was on my retreating back.

I was already looking forwards to the next time we crossed paths, wondering and yet certain that when the time came around, I would be able to act as composed, if not more, as I had just demonstrated.

I also wondered, and this time was not so certain, what he thought of me. _Whether or not_ he would think of me.

I wanted to believe that he would; that he found me just as engaging as I found him.

And his heart, skipping a beat as mine did, stumbling over itself as we conversed... I wanted to believe that it was true.

Even if it meant setting off on that one way trip towards my own suffering.


	4. Initiation, Finally

**Chapter Four - Initiation, Finally**

_Well...that went better than last time, at least. _

The problem with having said something more or less smooth--the fact that I had said anything at all, actually--to him was that the scene kept replaying in my head, fragments of it added with bits of my own imagination.

_He watched me until I was out of sight, smiling and thinking that he'd 'end up' at the pool and accidentally on purpose find me. _

"Saa...we meet again..."  
  
I had to hold back my giggles, giddy at my own daydream, wishing and half believing that it were true. I couldn't sit still. "Kaa-san, I'm going to walk around for a while." 

My feet carried me automatically, round and round the edge of the pool. While pretending to admire the soft candlelight and decoration around, my eyes jumped to the entrance every time someone came into view.

After an hour or so, I was tired of maneuvering through all the people gathered beside the water. It was apparent that unless he'd mistaken 'pool' to be as in 'billiards', he had no intention of showing up any time soon. "Tou-san, kaa-san, I'm going somewhere else now..."

_What do you think your life is; some kind of romance novel?_ Disappointed, I dragged myself back to the main building, lamenting the loss of a whole wasted hour.  
_  
Idiot.  
_  
Again, the third floor landing. I was going to give up for the night and find a real romance to read instead.

One where things _happened_ between the soon-to-be couple, and _quickly_ too.  
_  
Thank heaven for chic lit._

I was nearly at the end of the carpet-covered hallway when I heard the soft, muffled footstep.

Smiling in utter disbelief, I swung around and went back down the hall.

"You've got to do better than that," I dared to be teasing, stopping in front of him where he stood with one hand on his camera, half in and half out of his bag. "I heard you coming."

"The people I know all seem to have their guards up all the time." He shook his head. "Back so soon?"

"Yeah," I replied, again having to purposefully lower my voice of below a high-pitched squeak. "There wasn't anyone I know down there...except my parents." I smiled ruefully.

"Is that so?" he asked empathetically. "I didn't do much better at the tennis courts. The only person around was my brother." The boy looked more subdued than the situation called for. "He didn't want to play."

"Oh..." I mumbled. "That's...that's too bad."

We stood there awkwardly.

"Do you want to go somewhere together? So that, you know, at least we won't be ignored any more?" I heard someone blurt out. It took a while to realize that the 'someone' had been me. I almost wanted him to say no, just so that I could run into my room and just blush for a while.

But at the same time, I was silently begging him to say yes...


	5. The Darkness of Night

**Chapter Five - The Darkness of Night**

"That's a good idea."

As though in a dream, I walked down to the garden by his side. It was both extremely magical and extremely suffocating, walking down the garden paths. I didn't know whether I should allow my arms to swing freely--too un-lady-like--or to keep them still--just really stiff--as we slowly went forwards, side by side.

"The flowers and stuff are really nice around here," I commented, desperate to break the silence.

_'The flowers and stuff'? Oh no..._

"They are," the boy nodded happily, as though I'd made a valid but not blandly obvious statement.

"You like plants?" I asked tentatively. It was an unnatural interest for a guy, but since he liked photography...

"I do. I have several potted cacti." He sighed. "Saa...I wonder if they're growing all right."

Under the darkness of night, I snuck a short, shy glance at him, a slow blush of admiration creeping up my face. How caring and sensitive, that he should think about his potted plants even while he was away from home. How..._romantic._

"Ne, look." He pointed. I turned my gaze off his profile and onto a few lone lilies in a small lily pond. "They're very elegant, aren't they?" I said with a hint of eagerness in my voice.

"They are," he agreed. "I think..." He took out his camera and faced me, his head tilted gently. "Would you mind posing for me again?"

The problem was, I was far from being a professional model. We tried having me sit on the pond-side rocks, or standing gazing earnestly at the stars. None of it quite worked. In the end, he suggested that I stood with my back to him, and then suddenly turn when he counted to three.

When the first snapshot came out, he studied it, nodded and said, "Perfect. Would you mind doing another?"

I didn't mind. I felt as though I could pose for another thousand photos, had he asked. I repeatedly turned and turned until he'd gotten a sizable pile of pictures on his lap. At the end, he looked at them, satisfied. "Maa," he held one out cheerfully. "This one is for you."

His first present to me.

_And may there be many more.  
_  
I took it carefully with numb fingers. I felt him move beside me to examine it together, his slow breathing filling my ears. The image of my in the picture, bathed in moonlight, almost didn't register.

"You made me look much better than I actually do," I murmured, half in rebuke and half in appreciation.

His soft chuckle tickled my skin. "I can't make anyone look good unless they're like that already."

He, being so close, could feel the heat of my cheeks, I was sure.

"I think you're beautiful in the photo."

His face was almost painfully close to mine, and in the dim light, it appeared to draw closer still. As our lips seemed to edge nearer, my eyes closed upon the sight of his, still fixed on the picture...

"Maa, let's move on, shall we?"

My eyelids flew open again, and saw him already ahead of me, smiling back expectantly.

Shaken, relieved, my heart pounding, I followed silently.

Disappointment lay heavily on my chest. But still I clutched the photo he had given me, and didn't let go even when we parted for the night, or even as I slept, my hand firmly clasping it under my pillow.


	6. One Way Trip

**Chapter Six - One Way Trip **

Racing through breakfast the next day, I flew out the door the first thing once I had dropped my knife and fork, thinking to head for the rose bushes, or the lily pond.

"Sir, is your family's luggage all here?"

"Saa..."

I skidded to a stop.

"Not quite. There's this one suitcase missing. My brother's. It's brown with 'Fuji Yuuta' written on it."

As the porter left, I approached the boy slowly. "Good morning. You're..."

"Leaving, yes," he confirmed. "I'll be sorry to go," he assured, sounding genuinely so.

"Is this the one, sir?" The porter returned.

"Yes, it's the right one."

We both watched it being loaded onto a bus on the road.

The boy turned to me. "It's been nice meeting you."

"The pleasure's all mine."

Pleasure? I felt ready to cry. "Good bye," I said. Hastily waving, I hurried back towards the hotel before he could see my lower lip trembling.

"Good bye..." his voice carried to me in the wind. Already it was faint, as though he was slowly ceasing to exist.

Once inside the building, I collapsed against a wall, my chest heaving, and my nose stinging. I closed my eyes, feeling the cool marble behind my back and head. I missed him. He hadn't even gone yet and I missed him...

Would he miss me?

_"It's been nice meeting you."_

_"The pleasure's all mine."_

Maybe I had been right. Maybe the pleasure had really all been mine. Here I was, choking and gasping for breath, while he, totally unbothered by the fact that all the time we had spent together during the last day had boiled down to five seconds of 'good bye', was boarding a bus, going on a one way trip from which he would never return.

Well, maybe he would one day return to this resort.

But never to me.

I let out a long, rattling sigh.

Well, if you take a wrong turn and go down the wrong path, you either retrace your steps or swing into a back alley and hope that it goes in the same general direction as your intended destination. Simple.

The thing was, there is no retracing your steps in time. Or your memory.

Shoving hard against the wall, I broke into a run, flying out the door and down the path towards the bus. Its engine started. I ran, and prayed.

His email. His cell-phone number. His _name_. Anything.

I reached the pavement as the bus accelerated. "Wait!" I choked, but my voice was drowned by the roar of tires against gravel. I could only watch. I could only helplessly watch, as the vehicle drove down and road, and out of sight.

He was gone.

After a long while, I lifted my feet wearily back up to my room.

My heart felt like lead, but my eyes were dry.

_And to think that it had even been love at first sight..._

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**I know it was kind of abrupt, the ending. And I suppose everyone expected it to be a get together story too. But the point that I'm trying to make here, before you all kill me for this, is that it doesn't HAVE to be a get together story, even if it looks like one. It's just, you know most fanfiction tells you about how the regular meets the girl and they fall in love and all, but it just doesn't happen that way, or shouldn't, in real life. Ok, so you could argue that the point of reading fanfiction is that it doesn't reflect real life. Then let's just say that I got bored with the norm. Where, you know, it really is love at first sight. **


End file.
